Business Briefs: Georgia rates best business state

Business Briefs: Georgia rates best business state

June 25th, 2014by Staff Reports and Wire Service in Business Around the Region

Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal

Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal

Photo by
Staff File Photo
/Times Free Press.

Georgia rates best business state

Georgia was rated as the best state in the country for doing business by CNBC on Tuesday.

The business news TV channel said the Peach State "is the cream of the crop" in infrastructure and workforce with the world's busiest airport, a major sea port and relatively abundant but low cost schools and workers. Last year, Site Selection magazine named Georgia No. 1 for business.

"As more people see Georgia's successes, more businesses will consider expanding or relocating here," Gov. Nathan Deal said Tuesday.

This year was the first time Georgia topped the CNBC list of best business states, although it has consistently been among the top 10. Georgia was followed, in order, by Texas, Utah, Nebraska and North Carolina. Tennessee ranked 14th and Alabama placed 34th among the 50 states.

AT&T says merger could limit prices

AT&T's CEO told Congress Tuesday that his company's purchase of DirecTV will help slow increases in programming prices, but won't lead to a decrease in prices. CEO Randall Stephenson spoke to two congressional committees to defend AT&T's $48.5 billion deal to buy the country's largest satellite TV broadcaster.

Stephenson said pay-TV costs are rising because of programming costs driven by TV studios and sports networks, and said he couldn't promise a decline in prices.